Heretofore, decontamination of vehicles involved various methods such as vacuuming the floor of the vehicle and passing the removed air, dirt, debris, etc., through the filters so as to catch the particles and/or detoxify the same. Another commonly used method related to washing various portions of the vehicle such as with a bactericide to kill germs, and the like.
Such methods were not very effective inasmuch as they did not kill or detoxify various types of antimicrobial compounds, and that often various portions of the vehicle were simply not treated.
U.S. Publication No. 2003/0138344, published Jul. 24, 2003, relates to a system for handling mail in the form of a modular facility, which is capable of being isolated from the surrounding environment. The modular facility includes an enclosure or sorting area for receiving and sorting incoming mail. A decontamination system receives sorted mail and decontaminates the mail with an antimicrobial gas, such as ethylene oxide. A clean room, isolated from the enclosure and spaced from the enclosure by the decontamination system, is used for receiving processed mail from the decontamination system and sorting the mail for distribution. A source of a decontaminant gas, such as vapor hydrogen peroxide, is fluidly connected with the enclosure for supplying the decontaminant gas to the enclosure in the event that the sorting room is contaminated or suspected of being contaminated with a pathogenic biological or chemical agent.
U.S. Publication No. 2004/0184950, published Sep. 23, 2004, relates to when microbial contamination is introduced into a room of an enclosure, such as a building, an HVAC system including supply ductwork and a return ductwork is decontaminated with hydrogen peroxide vapor. A decontamination controller operates controllable baffles at outlet registers, temporary controllable baffles at inlet registers, and a blower system to circulate hydrogen peroxide vapor from hydrogen peroxide vapor generators through the ductwork in both forward and reverse directions. Further, at least portions of the baffles are closed to create dwell times in which the hydrogen peroxide vapor resides in the ductwork with minimal or turbulent flow.